The Inglis Ready2Race Sale is approaching next week, a fortnight delayed from its original date and with a catalogue of 29 vendors and 185 horses by 92 individual sires. It’s the first of Australasia’s 2-year-old sales, followed next month by the Magic Millions 2YO In Training Sale and then New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready To Run Sale.
Kicking off in Sydney next Tuesday, Inglis’ Ready2Race event will showcase the first 2-year-olds by stallions such as Russian Revolution, Almanzor (Fr), Hellbent and Merchant Navy.
The Sale is a traditional hunting ground for pinhookers, buyers from Asia and locals alike, and it’s got a new addition among the vendors this year in Victorian trainer Liam Howley.
Liam Howley | Image courtesy of Liam Howley Racing
Formerly the head trainer for Lloyd Williams at Macedon Lodge, and before that a graduate of the Darley Flying Start program (which led to roles with Shadwell Racing, Lee Freedman, Robbie Griffiths and Robert Hickmott), Howley has been a solo entity in the training ranks since early this year.
His yard is at Pipers Creek, just outside Kyneton, and, in a short space of time, he’s had the good horse Bainbridge (Rebel Raider) finish among the first three in six of seven overall starts.
Howley also made a significant splash at the yearling sales earlier this year, jumping into a $360,000 Almanzor colt at the Inglis Classic Sale in February, and a $300,000 Frankel (GB) filly at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.
He has three colts heading to Sydney on Thursday for the Ready2Run Sale, and they’re a Street Boss (USA) youngster from the Redoute’s Choice mare Belle Chantecler (NZ), plus two client colts by Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (Ire).
The Street Boss
Howley’s is a concise draft, down to three this week with the withdrawal of Lot 121 by Ilovethiscity.
“We’re down to three with that colt being out,” the trainer said. “Unfortunately he just went a bit sore the week, which was a shame. He was a really nice horse that was bought as a pinhook. But the other three are really good young horses that should do well.”
Lot 126, by Street Boss, was initially passed in for NZ$50,000 by Brighthill Farm at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Lot 126 - Street Boss (USA) x Belle Chantecler (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He was passed in at Karaka, and we bought him with a view that he’d be the ideal ready to run,” Howley said. “I think he was just in the wrong sale. People weren’t going to Karaka to buy a Street Boss, so he got passed in and we bought him after the Sale. We quite liked him as a type, and we got him home and he just went from strength to strength.”
Howley said Lot 126 was a beautiful-looking horse with good movement.
“He hasn’t put a foot wrong the whole way along,” he said. “It’s a little disappointing for him that the Sale wasn’t in its original date because he was one that really could have stepped straight out of the Sale onto the track. He’s so forward and a really mature, good-galloping horse.
“Unfortunately, with the Sale being pushed back, it’s probably pushed him more towards needing a break now.”
"He (Lot 126) hasn’t put a foot wrong the whole way along. He’s so forward and a really mature, good-galloping horse." - Liam Howley
The decision to push the Ready2Race Sale back a fortnight was made around Sydney’s lockdown situation.
Inglis can now accommodate crowds at the Sale, which is ideal for a live event, but it has made things challenging for certain vendors, particularly those in Victoria with spring carnival on their doorsteps.
Lot 126 - Street Boss (USA) x Belle Chantecler (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It made a big difference to us with this horse, because I was pitching him to clients as a horse ready to go straight from the ring,” Howley said. “I’ve been very particular in how I’ve prepped these horses, and two of them, in particular, had a value on them that they were ready to go the races. But now, like the rest of us I think, they probably need a break.”
On the Anamoe cross
Like most across the industry, Howley has ebbed and flowed on the tides of COVID-19. His draft for this Sale might have been twice as large at one point, and it would have suited him better if the Sale weren’t occurring on the doorstep of major racing.
“The timing of it two weeks ago would have been really good,” Howley said. “But we’ve all worked with it and these are unique circumstances, so we push on. This is always a great Sale and it’s got the ability to provide great results.”
Lot 126 is one of two horses by Street Boss in next week’s Ready2Race Sale.
He is a half-brother to the stakes-placed filly Bella Court (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), while Belle Chantecler herself was a NZ$500,000 yearling in 2009, sold by Pencarrow Stud to Michael Freedman at the Premier Yearling Sale in Karaka. This is the family of Australian Hall of Famer Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Howley’s colt clocked 11.45s in his Seymour breeze-up, and he’s bred on the same cross as current star Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}), who won the G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. in the autumn before his recently brilliant G1 Caulfield Guineas victory.
Toronado colts
The two remaining Toronado colts for Howley are client horses, the first from the unraced Lope De Vega (Ire) mare Santa Fe (Lot 63) and the second (Lot 161) from the well-related Red Ransom (USA) mare Elle’s Decree.
Gallery: Liam Howley's Toronado (Ire) colts that are entered in the Inglis Ready2Race Sale
Elle’s Decree is a half-sister to two-time Group 1 winner Malaguerra (Magnus), as well as Listed winner Tennessee Midnight (Danehill {USA}). The latter is the dam of G1 Coolmore Classic winner Aloha (Encosta De Lago).
This is a tidy family from Lot 161 because Aloha is the dam of Libertini (I Am Invincible), the multiple Group-winning mare who was unplaced in The Everest last weekend.
“These horses are being sold by two different clients,” Howley said. “We were looking at them as yearling prospects, but we thought we’d be able to maximise their value by putting them through as well-prepared 2-year-olds.
"They’ve gone through the system naturally with the rest of my yearlings, so I’ve got to see plenty of them and they’re nice-moving horses with good pedigrees.”
"We were looking at them (Lots 63 and 161) as yearling prospects, but we thought we’d be able to maximise their value by putting them through as well-prepared 2-year-olds.
Lot 161 is the last live foal from Elle's Decree, while Santa Fe had a Highland Reel (Ire) colt in mid-August. Neither Lot 161 nor Lot 63 were sold as yearlings.
Howley can’t guarantee that any of his draft will return to his yard, but he said the door is open.
“They’re three really nice horses that would fit right in,” he said. “They’re all different and they’ve all got their positives. I’d certainly be pushing my clients to have a look at them when they go through the ring next week.”
The trainer said the COVID situation has caused many of his clients to opt into racing their horses this year rather than selling them, which is why he has such a concise draft of only three heading to Sydney.
“Ideally, I’d much rather be taking nine or 10,” Howley said. “But I went down this path because, being a young business, I saw it as a really good opportunity to showcase what we can do.
"My background is all in preparing stayers, and I want to be able to show the marketplace that we can prepare young horses up and going. From a staff point of view too, it’s something a bit different and exciting, and they’re certainly looking forward to heading up.”
